Expensive Knives – What makes some production knives cost much more than others? (not the materials)

Setting aside the separate matter of custom knives, what are the market factors that drive some regular production and midtech knives to demand much higher price tags than others? Sure, high quality materials like titanium, carbon fiber, and particle metallurgy steels should cost more than basic stuff like injection molded plastic and lesser steels, but high quality materials are often seen these days even in moderately-priced knives. So what are the factors that make a manufacturer comfortable slapping a three- or four- or five-hundred dollar MAP price on some knives and not others? In this video, I discuss some of the considerations that influence price, and look at several examples of pricey cutlery.

Knives featured in this video:

Spyderco Slysz Bowie
Spyderco Slysz Swayback
Spyderco Sage 5 in REX-121
Spyderco Native 5 Sprint in CPM-s90v
Spyderco Subvert Sprint in CPM-20CV
Spyderco Para 3 in Maxmet
Spyderco Para 3 Fradon Lock Exclusive in Elmax and marbled carbon fiber
Spyderco Nand
Spyderco Spydie Chef
Benchmade 940 Osborne in CPM-S90V and carbon fiber
Benchmade Crooked River
Benchmade Tengu
Fallkniven PXL in 3G laminated steel
Mcusta Tactility Elite in SPG2 San Mei Steel
Chris Reeve Knives (CRK) Mnandi
ProTech Magic
ProTech Malibu Operator
Fox Knives Original Gangster ATCF
Cold Steel Hatamoto 60 Series
We Knives Curvaceous
Hinder XM-18 Fatty Wharncliffe in CPM-S45VN
Hinder XM-18 Skinny Slicer Magnacut
Boker Plus Kwaiken Mini in carbon fiber with titanium bolsters
B'Yond EDC Asymmetrical Nighthorse in full titanium
Zero Tolerance (ZT) 0640 Emerson Carbon Fiber